Taiwan health authorities announced on Sunday that a new virus has emerged under surveillance in China. It would be transmitted from animals to humans with characteristics similar to the coronavirus.
A virus called “Langya” would have emerged in China, which would show similarities to the Covid-19. In Shangdong and Henan, two provinces in the east of the country, 35 people are said to have been infected so far.
On Sunday, amid tensions between China and Taiwan, Taiwan’s Disease Control Centers (CDC) announced surveillance of this new virus.
The patients are said to have come into contact with animals and have shown the following symptoms: fever, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, muscle pain, nausea, headache and vomiting, the Taipei Times reported on Tuesday.
According to the Taiwanese researchers, dogs and goats are the main carriers of the pathogen that damages human organs.
No deaths or tests yet
This new virus would belong to the henipavirus family. It is classified as Biosafety Level 4 and is transmitted through respiratory droplets, according to the World Health Organization.
This report by Taiwanese scientists comes three days after the release of a study on this new virus by scientists from China and Singapore.
In it, the researchers specifically suggested that the shrew might be the most obvious animal carrier of “Langya.” No death has been reported at the moment and most cases have proven to be non-serious.
Taiwanese scientists have announced that they are working on developing a test to detect this new virus.